Pippen: LeBron may be greatest ever

Scottie Pippen, a South Florida resident and Chicago Bulls ambassador, watched every game of the Eastern Conference Finals from a courtside seat.

It apparently helped him to come to a controversial conclusion.

On ESPN Radio on Friday morning, after the Heat eliminated the Bulls, Pippen compared his former teammate Michael Jordan – who won six titles – with Heat forward LeBron James, who is still seeking his first.

“Michael Jordan is probably the greatest scorer to play the game,” Pippen said. “But I may go as far as to say LeBron James may be the greatest player to ever play the game because he is so potent offensively that not only can he score at will but he keeps everybody involved.”

James has averaged 7.0 assists during his career.

Jordan averaged 5.3.

“You have to be on your Ps and Qs on defense,” Pippen continues. “No guy on the basketball court is not a threat to score with LeBron James out there. Not only will LeBron dominate from the offensive end as well, but he’s also doing it on the defensive end which really makes him the complete package. He’s able to get in those passing lanes, shoot those gaps and create transition opportunities where he is pretty much unstoppable.”

The backlash against Pippen came swiftly from Bulls fans, already aching after their team’s elimination.
Pippen didn’t back down on Twitter, tweeting that “for all of you that don’t know, I played the game you keep watching and cheering.”

He continued:

“Don’t get me wrong, MJ was and is the greatest. But LeBron could by all means get to his level someday.”